


Cinders

by morai_thoughts



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst, Coffee Shop, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU, Politics, Riots, Secret Relationship, Smut, Violence, Winterfell, this story got out of my hands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:14:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21735865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morai_thoughts/pseuds/morai_thoughts
Summary: Sansa Stark makes a deal with the man they call 'Littlefinger'. Since meeting Petyr Baelish she has always been strangely attracted to him, despite the dark reputation surrounding him. Would he keep his promise to her when she calls for his help or would it be another of his twisted games?Meanwhile, Westeros is dragged to the edge of civil war with the North. The uneasiness is palpable at every corner of the nation. The people suffer more than ever from the egos and greedy ways of those in power, and Ned Stark has trouble finding a way to calm the rioting people of the north.Sometimes the man who has the best intentions is the man who pays the highest price.
Relationships: Petyr Baelish/Sansa Stark
Comments: 33
Kudos: 38





	1. Blood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [andinanotherlifetime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/andinanotherlifetime/gifts), [AlayneBaelish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlayneBaelish/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unannounced visit.

It was a bad idea. Outside the storm lashed hard without giving any sign that it was going to subside. The wet clothes still clutched to her frame cooling dangerously on her skin. She needed to change, but the fog in her mind was still fixed reliving the recent events. A shiver ran down her spine. She needed to escape. She needed a way out. 

Sansa was sure that no one had seen her sneak in his home. Petyr gave her the keys after all, _'for any emergency'_ he said. Could he trust him or would he play her like the rest of the small council?

 _"No, he would never do anything like that. Not with me. Not this time”_. She hoped. The truth was she didn’t know. Petyr Baelish’s reputation didn’t speak of him as a very merciful man. Sansa feared he would want something in exchange for his help, but that was Sansa’s from the future problem. She’ll deal with it when the time came. 

The jingle of keys awoke her from her daydream. Steps approached the office where she sat, _his office_. Sansa brought her knees closer to her chest holding her breath, preparing for the worst. 

“Sansa?” 

The man in the door stilled for a beat before rushing over to her. Sansa flinched when she felt his arms reaching for her. “Is fine sweetling, I won’t harm you.” Petyr pulled her into his embrace. “You’re safe now. Everything’s fine Sansa.” 

The girl clutched his shirt, curling her hands on the soft fabric. She felt her muscles tremble, releasing all the tension they kept through the night. Petyr rocked her lightly, whispering sweet words in her ear. How could she think he would harm her? Shame tinged her thoughts for even considering it. 

“Can you get up?” He asked after a while. Sansa hesitated for a moment, but the man took the lead snaking one of his arms below her knees and picked her up. She held tight to him, his head resting on hers, pressing her body to his. 

He brought her to his room and laid her on his bed, or at least that’s where Sansa figure they must be. The world turned hazy around her blurring her sight, the only thing she was sure of was the touch of his hands carefully checking for any injuries. 

“I’ll prepare a bath and bring clean clothes for you.” He assured her before letting go of her hand. Sansa whimpered in protest, not wanting to part from him yet. 

“Is fine. I won’t leave you.” Petyr sat down next to her kissing her forehead. 

He helped her bathe making sure she was strong enough not to slip up in the bathtub. The old Sansa would have been embarrassed to undress in front of him. The old Sansa would ask him to turn around to keep at least a minimum of decorum. The old Sansa disappeared that night. 

Once her blood washed away down the drain, he helped her stand up and covered her with a dry white towel. Her eyes flickered to the sodden clothes piled up in the corner of the room. She would burn them as soon as she could. Flashes of what happened that night crossed her head. The girl bit her lip, she couldn’t be weak again. 

He left the bathroom letting her change into the clean clothes he retrieved for her, a cotton t-shirt and sweatpants that were unequivocally his. Petyr lifted his head from his cell phone when he heard her opened the bathroom door. “How are you feeling?” 

Sansa didn’t answer preferring to sit next to him just like he did moments before. Petyr reached for her taking her hands in his. He didn't say a word, and she was grateful for it. Her thoughts were incapable of putting themselves in order, and no matter how hard she tried, Sansa did not know how to begin to tell what happened. 

He rubbed her knuckles, circling random patterns on her skin. Her eyes focused on his hands then. They were lean and firm, fit for a dexterous musician. They were bigger than hers, a peculiar thing that caught her attention considering he wasn’t much taller than her. 

“What happened Sansa? Tell me.” His tone was soft but firm. He demanded to know why she was here. Why she asked for his help in the first place. 

Sansa ley out a nervous sigh. He had the right to know, she wouldn’t be here if it weren’t important, but somehow se couldn't find the words to tell him. 

“Joffrey got mad at me." She began, "He called me a whore and told me he would kill all my family and bring me their decapitated heads one by one. He was mad when he got the news of my brother’s wedding to the Freys.” Sansa brought her knees to her chest letting go of Petyr’s hands. 

“He always hit me on the cheek and then leaves, but tonight it was different." Her lip trembled. "He ordered one of his men to barge into my room when I was sleeping and drag me out. Arya gifted me a small dagger for my eighteenth birthday, so when the guard went to hit me for the second time, I stabbed him. First in his inner thigh, and then in the neck.” 

Petyr huddled closer, wiping the tears streaming down her eyes. “You’re so strong, sweetling. You did well.” 

“I killed him! There was so much blood, and I panicked. I didn’t know what to do and, and…” The girl couldn’t take it any longer. He caught her in time and they both fell over the bedsheets. Sansa searched for his body, quickly huddling to his side. 

Petyr held her close, patiently waiting until the girl calmed down in his arms. He kissed her hair repeatedly, telling her all over again how brave she was, that she was safe now. She wanted to believe him, all of it. His warmth intoxicated her, and for a moment she thought he was right. 

“I’ll take care of it.” He assured her. “Now you need to rest. I’ll make a couple of phone calls and then I’ll come back, I promise.” 

Sansa nodded covering herself with the blanket. Petyr gave her a small smile before leaving the room and pressing her phone to his ear. She heard his voice travel from the first floor, but she couldn’t make out the words. The redhead pressed her face into the fluffy pillow, the fabric smelled like him and she couldn’t help to inhale his scent once more. 

When Baelish returned, he found her deep asleep. The man lifted the duvet and slowly slid next to the sleeping beauty. Sansa stirred in dreams, making Petyr hesitate afraid he might wake her up, but the girl stayed still breathing deeply.

The lines of his face softened at the sight of her. She looked so fragile right now, that no one would guess this beautiful creature stabbed to death a man twice her size barely two hours ago. He tucked one of her stray curls behind her ear, marveling in her soft skin. He couldn’t take away the sight of her frightened face from his mind. He swore it would be the last time he’d see them. 

He ordered his men to take care of Meryn Trant’s body, and soon the boy king would follow his favorite guard’s fate. 

* * *

He waited for her in the parking lot at the university. Petyr knew the route she normally took to her dorm, so it was easy to slip past the ever-present Lannister guard that watched her. A few threats and money bills did the trick. 

She wrapped her arms around him as soon as they were far from peering eyes, pressing eagerly her mouth to his. Petyr melted in her kiss, his smirk widening when he felt her hands on his chest, clutching his dress shirt. So eager and young. He raised one hand in return, cradling the back of her neck while the other found his home at the small of her back. 

“I missed you.” She said breaking their kiss. _'I miss you too.'_ He wanted to answer in return, but somehow the words stuck in his throat. It surprised him the way she had tumbled into his life and quickly turned it upside down. One day he'll show her what she means to him. One day after all the chaos is over.

Petyr pecked her lips, “I know. Come with me.” 

“Where?” She took his hand. 

“You’ll see.” 

He directed her to his car opening the passenger door for her. A group of students’ heads turned their way, their mouth slacked at the sight of the Maserati waiting for the two lovers in the parking lot. Sansa entered the vehicle, leaning on a very smug Petyr. The redhead chided her partner, remarking that his maneuver to get her out may had caught more attention that they wanted. 

“My father is going to know, and he will erase that smug smirk from your face,” 

“And I’ll wait eagerly to tell the honorable Ned Stark how I corrupted his older daughter.” 

Petyr drove her out of the city to a cliff by the sea. She knew the road; her house was only a few miles from there. The man opened her door helping her to climb out of the car. Sansa clutched her coat tight around her frame covering from the strong wind. Petyr didn’t seem affected by it, considering he grew up in the fingers he must feel at home. 

“Do you see that cliff?” Petyr pointed at the one with the lighthouse looking all over the bay. Behind it, was her family’s house. The girl nodded huddling closer to his frame. 

“If anything goes wrong, I’ve arranged for a helicopter to take you and your family out of the city.” 

Sansa furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?” 

“It’s a backup plan, I wanted to tell you. The pilot will drop you to a base in Dragonstone.” 

“And where would we go?” 

“North. To Winterfell of course.”

Sansa blinked, taking in the information. The game of thrones was the most dangerous game there was, and she had allied with one of the best players. Failure didn’t exist in Petyr’s vocabulary. Did it?

“Why did you do this?” Nothing would go wrong, he couldn’t fail. 

“Sansa.” He cupped her cheek, his grey-green eyes looking directly to her. “I’ve planned for every outcome, for every turn our plan might take. I must plan for failure too. It’s the only way I have to make sure you’ll be safe in the end.” 

“What about you?” 

“I’ll stay here and wait for the right moment to contact you.” 

“But, what if you can’t?” Sansa placed her hand on his cheek. “I don’t want to leave you.” 

“The plan is perfect. I planned it out to the last detail, _we_ planned it out. There are no cracks. Everything will be fine, no one’s going to leave anybody.” 

Sansa pursed her lips, not convinced by his words. She wanted to believe them, but she didn’t trust Cersei or Tywin for that matter. Joffrey has proven to be very unstable and half of her family were still in the capital. 

“There are risks, but if you stay here for much longer, you’ll suffer them anyway.” Sansa fisted her hand dropping it by her side, “I’m sorry sweetling. It’s now or never.” 

“Give me your word.” 

Petyr blinked. “I don’t understand.” 

“Give me your word. Promise me you won’t betray me.” She held his gaze. Ice blue locking in grey-green. “Promise me Petyr.” 

She rested her forehead with his holding her breath. A beat passed before he opened his mouth. 

“I promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to another story! 
> 
> I know I'm crazy for starting another story while I have so many WIPs unfinished, shame on me. This plot wouldn't leave my head and I had to give it a shot. I hope you like it and enjoy it. 
> 
> Thank you for reading :)
> 
> Tumblr: @quoyan11  
> Instagram: @quoyan_11
> 
> -Q


	2. Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t feel scared when I’m with you.” 

“I don’t feel scared when I’m with you.” 

Petyr shifted in the bed pulling Sansa closer to him. The redhead immediately curled her arm over his waist, snuggling into his frame. She gave him a small smile but it didn’t reach her eyes, crystals pools searching for their light. The weight of her words resonated in his head over and over again, feeling a sudden urge to protect her at any cost. He wanted her to keep that light. 

Petyr laid a kiss over her crown inhaling her scent once more. “You don’t have to be scared. Not anymore.” 

“My father doesn’t know what he’s doing, is he? They’re going to kill him.” She declared in a somber tone. They stayed silent for a while until she couldn’t take it anymore, tears pooled in her eyes threatening to come out. Petyr shushed her softly, letting Sansa hide her face in the crook of his neck. 

Baelish swallowed the lump in his throat measuring his next words. “They won’t kill him if he follows my advice.” 

“He won’t do it. I heard him the other day talking to Jory.” Sansa locked her eyes with his. “They talked about calling the banners, they’re preparing for war.” 

“There’s still time. You could leave and go back north to Winterfell. Make the Lannisters forget about all of this mess.” 

“No.” 

Petyr cupped her cheek. His eyes took her in, trying to remember every inch, every detail of her face. Petyr hated the words that came out of his mouth because he was a selfish man. The thought of Sansa parting from him stung almost as the jarred scar covering his body. 

“You’ll be safe and happy. You’ll be home.” 

“But I’ll be without you.” 

He pressed his lips to hers. He wanted to tell her everything will be alright, that she will be safe and that’s all he cared about. His mind worked a thousand miles per hour, but his words failed. Sansa yielded to his kiss, giving back the same fervor he showed her. Her arms went around his neck, crushing her body to his. Wanting to feel him, wanting to be get lost in the moment not knowing if she would have another night with him. 

It filled his chest with pride to know she felt the same way about him, even after everything he had done. Even after all the lies, he weaved to build his small empire. 

Petyr knew that Sansa Stark was something more since the moment he met her, auburn hair shining in the sun. It felt as if fate were teasing him. She looked so much like the love he once lost. 

The two lovers continued their dance. Slow caresses soon turn into moans of longing. Petyr parted from her lips landing on the valley of her breast, swallowing every inch of her body his lips could reach. 

“I’ll always be with you.” The man slid in slowly stretching her walls, joining again in her. Sansa whimpered, her hand tangling in his hair. She brought his face up and looked directly at him. His flustered cheeks and wild curls made him look more handsome than ever. 

“I love you.” 

A wave of emotion coursed through him and he crushed her lips to hers again. This woman. This woman was responsible for his madness, and he would make her his. Ned Stark, the Lannisters, he didn’t care who stepped between them. He thought his love for her was a liability, his weak spot, but Petyr had gotten used to wake up and go to bed next to the redhead beauty. He wouldn’t let her go. 

She will be safe.

* * *

“What’s this?” Arya stood in the door of her bedroom holding a blue stick.

“It’s nothing,” Sansa launched forward trying to take the problematic object, but Arya moved quickly.

“I know what it is.” 

“Stop Arya.” The redhead warned. “We need to go.” Their father waited downstairs for them with a group of his guard. Petyr sent her a message telling her to leave the capital immediately early this morning. She protested, they fought over the phone, and despite her pleas for him to come with them, he refused. 

_I’ll go with you soon, but you need to go. Now._

She didn’t hear from Petyr then, her phone stayed silent next to her when she got out of the bathroom, her eyes fixed on the blue stick between her hands. Sansa thought she did a good job of hiding the evidence, but apparently, it hadn’t been enough. 

“We’ll go, but first you have to tell me,” Arya demanded.

Their father called them from the ground floor. The van was ready, they could leave.

“There’s no time Arya-”

“Does he know?” Arya’s eyes softened. “Does Littlefinger know?” 

Sansa froze. Her younger sister held her gaze waiting for her answer. She didn’t look mad; tiredness rounded her eyes making her look older than her years.

“I just want the truth Sansa; I won’t get mad I promise. Everyone around me keeps telling me lies. I just want to look at someone I love and know they’re telling me the truth.”

A fleeting eternity passed before the redhead opened her mouth. “He doesn’t.” 

_He doesn’t, and I will never see him again._

Arya nodded, taking in the information. She scratched the back of her head lost in thought. Yells traveled through the walls, signaling the motion below. They were running out of time. 

“It’s time to go.”

* * *

“Sansa! Are you awake?” 

Sansa covered with the bedsheets, trying to shield herself from the morning light. Her mother sat beside her over the covers. “honey, I know you’re not feeling well, but you need to eat something.” 

Sansa groaned into her pillow. The problem was it made little sense to get up. She felt helpless since they left the capital. Two months have passed, two months of waiting for a call that never came. Part of her wished to never hear from Petyr again. 

“I’ve made pancakes the way you like them, and hot chocolate. We are all waiting for you, darling.” The older woman leaned to kiss her daughter’s hair. Catelyn prayed to the seven every day to see all of her children’s safe back in their home since the moment Ned hopped with them on the airplane headed to King’s Landing. She caressed Sansa’s auburn curls, so familiar and yet so different. Her little princess. 

Sansa got out of bed reluctantly, relenting to her mother’s wishes. As much the young girl didn’t agree, Catelyn was right, she needed to eat. Her family greeted her in the kitchen, making light conversation. Nothing seemed out of ordinary. The morning passed like any other. It was nice to be at home with her family, to find comfort in something she was afraid to have lost forever. The snowflakes swirled weightless in the patio just like the morning a message arrived for her father. The message to go south. 

One time, alone in her room, Sansa closed her eyes and caressed the light bump beneath her shirt. Sometimes she imagined ghost hands wrapped around her shoulder, shielding her from the cold. She even inhaled trying to catch a wisp of his cologne, remembering the tinged of mint it left on her shirt when he held her close. 

Sansa stopped believing in fantasies long ago. His betrayal only proved there was no knight in shining armor going to her rescue. Monsters and darkness reign this world, but she hoped to be mistaken, only this time. Now her chest only held rage, a rage for what he took away from her. For the lies, the laughter and the hope he once lit in her.

* * *

One big explosion and everything was gone. Chunks of Baelor’s sept jumped through the air on the television screen. A dust cloud covered the religious enclosure hiding the result of the violent blast of Valyrian fire. There were no survivors. Half of the Tyrrel family and several noble families and innocent people perished that day. Cersei’s rage knew no limits. 

But Sansa already knew that.

Cersei gave a statement hours later saying terrorists perpetrated the explosion. People sent by the exiled Daenerys Targaryen who more than once threatened to return to the capital. ‘Bullshit’ Thought Sansa watching Lannister exit the Red Fortress’s press room on television. 

Her father received several visits from that day onward. Important people dressed in suits with a strong northern accent, who lowered their voices every time someone passed in front of her father’s office.

Ned Stark listened to everyone. Some of them were rude and brash like the Umbers and others were polite and calmed like the Reeds. Howland arrived accompanied by his daughter and son. Bran quickly engaged in friendly conversation with Jojen, Meera stayed by her brother’s side intervening in the conversation when she deemed necessary. 

The old Sansa would have felt compelled to act as the perfect hostess, but she opted to watch the scene from the sides. Her family said nothing, more important matters demanded their attention, slowly driving them away from her. 

Sansa often found her parent’s politician life an impediment, now she considered it a blessing. Fewer eyes on her would mean she had free rein to do what she planned to do. 

She just wanted to get rid of him. Of his face, his voice, of the memory he ingrained on her mind. There was a time she thought they would have a happy ending. Sansa brought her knees closer to her chest, sinking down on the couch. One morning she woke up next to him and she just knew. They had crossed some kind of invisible boundary, an imaginary threshold they couldn’t cross back. 

Now she was alone. Lost in her own home missing a ghost. Everyone she knew in King’s Landing except for Cersei was gone. Including him. 

“It’s done.” Announced her father that night in the dining room during dinner. “I’m calling the banners. We’re on red code now, the North will no longer be a part of the Seven Kingdoms, our people have suffered enough.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter belonged to a little snippet I posted a month ago on Tumblr. It was the first scene I wrote and the whole idea of the story came from it. I know things aren't looking great, but I can't wait to know your thoughts on this last chapter.
> 
> Thank you for reading :) 
> 
> -Q
> 
> Tumblr: @quoyan11  
> Instagram: @quoyan_11


	3. Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The girl cursed under her breath, she only wished his ghost would go away_

“Do you want any sugar with your latte?” 

“No, I’m fine.” The redhead assured the barista with a small smile. 

“Stevia then?”

Sansa shook her head again. The young man raised his eyebrows not satisfied with her answer and grabbed a coffee cup. Dimples adorned his cheek when he looked at her again, “name?” 

The girl narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry?” 

“For the coffee.” He explained a little embarrassed, “I need it to call you when it’s ready.” 

Sansa blinked, “Sansa.” She added quickly not wanting to make more a fool of herself. 

“Beautiful name.” 

Sansa averted her gaze not, waiting for the barista to finish and pay for her latte. His amber eyes kept flickering her way before his manager interrupted him. The girl mentally thanked his savior and turned around to look for a table where to sit. 

She found a free table beside the window looking to the small square. People walked around enjoying their free Sunday afternoon at Wintertown. 

A small girl ran laughing while carrying a floating balloon over her. His father shouted her name and hurried her side once she tripped and fell against the pavement. A flash of sadness cursed through her. For a moment she saw him, his body bending over to help a small girl with red hair. The light of the sun would freckle through his hair drawing that silver shimmer she loved so much. He would hold the little girl in his arms as if his whole world depended on it, just like he did with her. Just like he made her feel. 

“Miss?” A low clank startled her when the waiter set the mug of coffee on the table. “Your coffee and muffin.” 

Sansa smiled politely bringing her hand to wipe her unshed tear. “Thank you.” It was the same young man from the counter. "Eric.” Read his name card. 

Eric gave her a dashing smile. “I hope it's to your liking.” 

Her eyes lowered when he trotted back to the desk. Another Sansa would have been swoon by his boyish looks and honeyed smile. She did like him, she decided moments later after observing him while sipping her coffee, but it didn’t feel like that first spark or the first time her eyes locked on _his_ celadon ones. The girl cursed under her breath, she only wished Petyr's ghost would go away, instead of constantly looming over her. 

It’s easier to move on when you forget. The redhead sipped her beverage and opened the book she brought to read. A distraction, that’s what she needed. 

Time passed unbothered and the redhead managed to immerse in her book, until shouting and yelling drove back her attention to the street. A group of people argued with a policeman. The six-foot man looked imposing in his uniform and helmet. He looked ready to charge at any moment. The policeman clenched his hold around his baton, meanwhile; the argument got more heated and one of the civilians pushed one of the policeman. 

And then the chaos broke out.

* * *

"Thanks to the seven, you're fine.” Catelyn Stark practically pounced over her daughter searching for any sign of injuries. “You got me worried. There are riots nearly over half of the city.” 

“I’m fine mom,” Sansa assured her. “I came home, that’s what matters.” The girl got scared when she saw the whole perimeter of the house surrounded by cops and her father’s bodyguards, but after what happened downtown early that afternoon, she understood. The Starks were the most powerful family in the North, and right now the North was out of control. 

“Your dad is away at work, and I don’t know when he’ll be back.” The older woman tightened her embrace not letting Sansa go. “I tried to call him but he’s not answering.” 

Arya watched her sister and mother’s exchange from the end of the corridor unsure of what to do. Rickon stood behind her with frightful eyes. Sansa freed herself from her mother’s arm and quickly went to his little brother picking him up in her arms. “What’s up, little buddy?” 

“Shaggydog escaped, I can’t find him.” He explained with a pout. 

“I’m sure he’ll come back soon. He knows where you are.” The big husky always tended to escape whenever he could, but the dog always found a way back. 

“Dad always called him back. I want him back.” Sansa gulped. No, she needed to be strong. Nothing bad had happened yet. 

“He’ll be back don’t worry. Daddy is a very important person and he needs to take care of the North.” 

Robb entered the living room and turned on the TV. Images of people running on the streets and protesting in front of the police appeared on the screen. Many were in favor of not leaving the Realm like Ned Stark announced the night before in front of the whole nation, but most were conservative north men that didn’t trust Ned Stark after leaving the capital. 

“Rickon, why don’t you go upstairs with Bran and play some video games, I’m sure Shaggydog will come back, I’ll search for him once dad is home.” The small Stark nodded and made a small grimace when his older sister kissed him before letting him go. 

Robb paced through the room in deep thought. His hands stretched and fisted listening to the media talk about Ned Stark and the North crisis. 

“They say he’s no longer fit to rule, that he’s a coward.” 

“He would be dead if he stayed in the capital. We all would be!” Sansa complained. 

“This is mental.” Robb sat down on the couch bringing his hands over his head. “I’m sure is all Bolton’s doing.” 

“Robb, careful.” Her mother warned. “Walls have ears.” 

The young man pursed his lips standing up. In an instant he transformed, he was no longer Robb, her sweet brother that likes to prepare brunch for her on Sundays. Or the sweet boy that sang alone in his room when he thought no one was watching. 

“I want to talk to dad.” 

Catelyn shook her head. “You can’t, not now.” 

“He’s not a coward. Roose has not stopped questioning dad's leadership and decisions since he marched south. He has turned half the government against him. They think he’s weak.” 

“The capital is a nest of vipers and the Lannisters were in power, you make it sound as if our time in the south was easy, but you weren’t there Robb. You don’t understand.” 

“I’m not the problem here. Go tell those big fat ass lords the truth, but they’ll keep talking behind your backs anyway.” With that, the young man grabbed his jacket and slammed the living room’s door. 

Sansa went quickly to her mother’s side, “is fine, he went to smoke, he’s not gone. He always does that when he's upset." The older woman leaned on her daughter, her hands shaking. “I’ll make some tea, yes?” Sansa kissed her mother’s cheek before directing her to the kitchen where she took out the kettle and prepared some tea just like she knew Catelyn liked it. 

“Thank you.” 

Catelyn held the hot beverage between her hands slowly, not wanting to spill the sweet liquid. Sansa nodded and went to pour another cup for herself when her mother tightened her hold on her hand. “Thank you, Sansa.” Her ocean-blue eyes stared into hers, so old for her age and yet so similar to her daughter’s. Sansa couldn’t imagine what her mother went through today while she was out in the city. Despite the sky falling above them, Catelyn kept fighting like the fierce leader she was, and for once in her life, Sansa didn’t know what else to say. 

“Thank you.” 

Catelyn held the hot beverage between her hands slowly, not wanting to spill the sweet liquid. Sansa nodded and went to pour another cup for herself when her mother tightened her hold on her hand. “Thank you, Sansa.” Her ocean-blue eyes stared into hers, so old for her age and yet so similar to her daughter’s. Sansa couldn’t imagine what her mother went through today while she was out in the city. Despite the sky falling above them, Catelyn kept fighting like the fierce leader she was, and for once in her life, Sansa didn’t know what else to say. 

* * *

Sansa flushed the toilet for the second time today. The vomiting got worse every morning and the girl knew perfectly well the reason why. Her head spun for a while making her grip the sides of the basin until the world stopped. 

She didn’t tell her mother the news about her pregnancy yet, why would she if she was planning on getting rid of it anyway? She didn’t do it though, not yet. Sansa sometimes wondered if a small part of her still wanted to keep something of him, to remember, to care for and see it grow. Fate had given her a chance and despite trying to convince herself of the contrary, she was curious to know what it felt like, to bring a life to the world. 

What kind of world was she bringing this life to? 

Green eyes flashed through her mind again. _"The plan is perfect. I planned it out to the last detail, we planned it out. There are no cracks. Everything will be fine, no one’s going to leave anybody.”_

 _‘You lied to me Petyr,’_ she thought, _‘you left me behind and now I can’t do the same to you. Believe me, I’ve tried.’_

The girl sniffed before opening the sink basin and cleaning her face once again. The cold water wiped her tear-stained cheeks and quickly woke her up of her daydream. 

An uncommon silence reigned over the house. Arya left the house early to visit a friend, accompanied by the two ever-present bodyguards their father hired for her. Catelyn paced along the living room answering calls and paying attention to the news playing on the television. That left her enough time to have a calm breakfast and think about the things she needed to do. 

Sometime before noon the doorbell rang and her mother’s footsteps padded through the corridor. The sound of a known voice reached her ears but she couldn’t identify it. Soon Catelyn called her from the door and the redhead stood up ready to solve the small mystery of the unknown voice. 

Amber eyes greeted her outside above two dimples she instantly recognized. “Eric?” 

“Hi there.” He awkwardly greeted. Catelyn regarded her daughter amused at the interaction with the young man. Sansa furrowed her brow before asking the question everyone expected. 

“What are you doing here?” 

Eric scratched the back of his neck and took out a rose bouquet from behind his back, “I wanted to know if you were okay. I couldn’t stop thinking about you after I dropped you yesterday."

Why do you have to be so nice Eric? The worst part was that this conversation was the presence of her mother and her questioning faces. Sansa took a deep breath, “mom,” she started with a sweeter voice than she thought herself possible at the moment, “would you mind giving us a minute please?” 

Catelyn Stark nee Tully rose her eyebrows before taking a step back and leaving them while hiding a smile. Eric waved her goodbye making Sansa pressed her fingers over the bridge of her nose. The Advil she previously took to calm the pulsing headache she woke up with clearly wasn’t working, and the day had just started. 

The boy averted his gaze to his feet, “you don’t like them, right?” He lightly shook the rose bouquet in his hand, “oh gosh, I’m sorry, I’m rushing things, aren’t I? I shouldn’t have come.” 

_‘No, you shouldn’t. I don’t want to hurt you.’_

“No, don’t worry Eric.” Sansa reached to take the flowers from him. “They are lovely, you didn’t have to...” 

Eric shrugged, “It just felt right.” 

The girl bit her lip. _'No, it's not right.'_

“Thank you.” She managed to say. The boy’s smile widened and Sansa knew her old shelf would have been speechless by it. Maybe she could make it work, someday. But her shell was too tough, and her heart had roughened during her time in the south. Sansa thought about the baby. No, not yet. 

“How are you doing?” He asked. 

“Good. Much better than yesterday.” She answered quickly.

“I’m happy to hear that.” 

“Thank you for driving me back.” 

“I couldn’t leave you after those people broke into the café.” He said in a hardened tone. “I have no idea when it will be open again.” 

Flashes of people running and glass breaking passed through her mind. She had been lucky for Eric to take her back. Maybe she took advantage of his obvious attraction to her or maybe not, but he wasn’t a bad kid, and besides, he was the one who asked.

“You'll have a few vacation days until then.” 

Eric chuckled. 

“Yes, I guess. Maybe you’d like, you know... To hang out sometime?” 

Sansa bit her lip measuring her next words. “I’d love to, but I don’t know yet. And with everything that's going on, I don't know if it's safe.” 

Eric tsked his tongue. “I see, I forgot I was talking to you Stark. It must be chaos around here.” He turned around to watch the wide green garden and the groups of guards stationed at every corner. 

“You should be grateful to be able to keep your life.” She joked. 

“I should be grateful?” Eric raised his hands defensively, “well, for starters thank you, it’s an honor to keep my precious life in your presence. That’s nice of you.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

“I’m glad you are better. Don’t worry about the café, I’ll tell you when it’s opened again, hopefully, I’ll see you around.” A promise she didn’t know she could keep, but the girl nodded anyway despite the small voice of warning ringing in her mind. 

“Great. Thank you, Eric.” 

The young man hesitated in front of her before daringly taking a step forward. _‘Stop,’_ she thought, but she didn’t move. His kiss was light on her cheek, and it vanished as fast as it happened. 

“Goodbye, Sansa.” His voice soft and sweet almost a whisper. 

“Bye.” 

And then he left.

* * *

The day went on as usual, except for the teasing questions her older brother submitted her during lunchtime. Sansa told them the truth. She barely knew Eric and she didn’t want anything romantic with him right now. 

Her brother and mother didn’t budge. “Come on Sans. You can’t be serious. We all saw him and the puppy eyes he was giving you.” 

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t pry on other people’s personal business Robb.” Sansa stood up from the table and left. It had been fun at first, but now her family was a bit overwhelming. 

‘They’re bored.’ Apart from the constant bad news from Winterfell her family lived confined in their home, surrounded by their security. They couldn’t get out, and only a few could get in. 

Sansa sat down on the couch dropping her legs on the cushions. Her mother had forgotten to turn off the TV before having lunch, always eager to be the first to know everything that happened outside their walls. 

Ned Stark was supposed to give a speech today to announce a new referendum. The North would either leave or keep being a part of Westeros, but the citizens will decide. The Stark leader gave in to riot’s pressure, stepping aside to let democracy do the work. That seemed to satisfy almost everyone. Sansa always thought that would have been the first thing her father would have done, but she finally understood after all the endless meetings with the most important people of the north. Ned Stark was running out of time, and he took what he believed was the fastest way to get rid of Cersei. 

It didn’t work. 

The phone rang startling her. The redhead stretched reaching for the phone station on the coffee table to accept the call. There was no ID. 

“Hello?” There was a silence, but whoever was on the other side didn’t hang up. 

“Hello?” She asked again biting her lip. Whoever called them was getting on her nerves. _‘That’s it.’_

“I’m hanging up.” She announced not caring whoever called, but a noise caught her attention right before she could press the end button. “Hello?” 

“Don’t let him speak.” A rough voice said. Sansa’s heart froze. “Don’t let him speak today.” 

“Wait, who is this? Why?” 

“Don’t let him speak.” The ending beep sounded through the speakers. The redhead tried to call the mysterious caller again but the number vanished from the menu. _‘No, no, no, no.’_

She knew that voice. She heard it thousands of times, it came to her in her dreams.

The girl put down the phone in the charging station as careful as she could, being afraid that her trembling hands would throw it away.

Petyr was alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and happy new year! consider this new chapter as my belated Christmas gift. It's been sitting on my computer for ages and I didn't know when to post it. I never felt ready.
> 
> But here it is! I hope you liked it. Thank you for reading my stories, I hope 2020 will allow me more time and energy to finish my WIPs, that's all I ask for. 
> 
> Thank you again :)
> 
> Tumblr: @quoyan11  
> Instagram: @quoyan_11


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